Roman Coral Set Gold Pendant

Possibly depicting Laetitia, the goddess of joy, standing in a contrapposto pose with left arm resting on an anchor, right arm aloft; wearing a chiton and himation, feet emerging from underneath the hem; lower part of a chignon visible on the back; repaired. 146 kg, 104 cm



From a private French collection. Acquired in France before 1993. From the personal collection of Gordon Gridley. Gordon Gridley was a founding member of the Camden Passage antique dealers’ association. Trading in antiques from the late 1960s, he opened his first shop in 1971 and remained a well-known and respected figure in the antiques world until his retirement. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.12087-214012.

Hollow-formed with neatly dressed hair in a chignon, small facial features and exaggerated eyes; mounted on a custom-made stand. 415 grams total, 94 mm including stand



From a collection acquired on the UK art market from various auction houses and collections mostly before 2000. From an important Cambridgeshire estate; thence by descent.

The head could be considered to represent the goddesses Juno or Tutela. The head is crowned with a simple diadem, which could fit with the identification of Venus, Juno, or Diana, or more particularly with a series of Roman benefactor and protective goddesses: Fortuna, Abundance or Concordia.

Hollow-formed with fine detailing to the fingers and nails; with fixing points for a military standard (signum) used by each unit under a centurion, originally fixed with the palm facing forwards inside a wreath. 718 grams, 21 cm

Generally intact and good defined, except for the lower part.

Acquired in Europe before 2000. European private collection. Accompanied by an academic report by Dr Raffaele D'Amato. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12003-211851.

Roman military signa decorated by phalerae and surmounted by a right hand are visible since the Late Consular Age. The hand (manus) symbolised the fides, i.e. the allegiance between the soldiers and the Res Publica. It is also possible that the hand belonged to a statue in which it was extended as a sign of silence, to allow the speaker to speak. However, the iconography of military hands, and also the resemblance with a bronze hand (military signum) preserved in the Vindonissa museum (Windisch), support the possibility that the object was part of a military standard.